Queen of shadows
by Ember Firestone2004
Summary: The first girl ranger,also the daughter morgrath,is taken in as wills apprentice. Will she betray them like her father wishes or will she forget the little detail that her dad is a evil mastermind.
1. Chapter 1

"Run. It isn't safe here anymore!"shouted an unknown speaker.

"No! I won't leave you!" Shouted mom.

"Take Ember with you!"there was that speaker again.

"They are almost in the castle. I don't want my choices to make you suffer."

Mom was crying softly trying not disturb a year old Ember.

A loud crash echoed down the hall. Young Ember awoke and started to cry.

3 strange men wearing mottled green and gray cloaks ran in and the unknown man shouted and ran down the hall the strange men following in suit. Mom started to run. Running down a hall and pulled back a rug and opened a trap door in the floor and crawled inside clutching Ember close to her chest. Crouching down low through the tunnel. There were screams directly above them. They reached the end of the tunnel and crawled out. They reached a path that led through a forest. Screams were coming from the path farther ahead. As she got closer it grew warmer. At the end of the path there was a Amber light. Ashes were flying everywhere smoke wafted through the trees. Little Ember was awake and crying.

Flames had engulfed the path. The fire was spreading fast. The smoke was almost intoxicating. The flames were spread in almost through almost the whole forest now. There was nowhere to turn the mom collapsed on the ground with a coughing fit. Desperately she covered me in her shawl. One of the strange cloaked men came and picked me up,he yelled something to a comrade and he came and picked up mom. They ran down the path and into the flames.

Ember woke with a start. She was sweating with fear and anxiety. Or maybe it was the fact she was in a cramped bedroom in Gallica. Her orange hair hung loose down at her sides. It stuck uncomfortably to her face and she needed a way to cool of and soon. She had been having that dream every night for a week now, and every time she had it she got more and more confused. Who are those strange cloaked men? Is that speaker my dad? She rubbed her temple absent mindedly.

"Ember, are you up yet?"shouted her mom.

Groggily she replied "Yes mom"

"Come on I have arends for you to run at the market."

She sat up and changed into a purple tunic and some leggings. She put on her sandals and pulled her hair back in a messy bun. She ran down the stairs if the small house her and her mom lived in. She walked down the sand road to the gallican market. The market was bustling with vendors and shoppers. She pulled out the short list her mom had made for her. She first had to go to a fruit stand and then a baked goods stall. She could spot the fruit stand anywhere,with it's bright purple cloth. She hurried to the stand and grabbed the items on the list. She dropped the man some coins and scurried away. Now to the bakery stall. She walked and walked until she finally found it nestled in between a jewelry stand and cafe.

"Bread please,"she asked.

"Certainly,"the chubby vendor said.

She paid him and went inside the cafe. She wanted some coffee. And she wanted it now!

"1 coffee please,"

He handed her the cup and she sat down at a table. She had just started to enjoy her coffee when some startled person started screaming.

"Fire!Fire in the market!"

She ran out of the cafe and was pushed aside by two actually one was rather small. She guessed he was part araluen. She gasped. There was one of those cloaked men. She wanted answers so she followed him. But it wasn't easy with everyone panicked about a fire. She eventually lost sight of him and she hurried back home.

She was in an old abandoned throne room. There was a man in the corner. She called out."Who are you!?"

"Lord of the rain and night. Overseer of this kingdom."

"It doesn't look much like a kingdom,"she said

"That's because they took it from me! All of it! My followers. My wife, my daughter,and my life."

"What! Who took it,"she confused.

"The Rangers."said the man.

"The cloaked men!"

"Yes,they took everything from me,"

"What's your name?"she asked.

"That's not important, what's important is you need to avenge me,"

"And why should I do that,"she shot back.

"Because I am your father,"


	2. Chapter 2

Ember slunk through the backstreets of gallica, her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. A brown tunic and black leggings with her flat sandals. She hated leaving like this,her mom would miss her. She finally reached the docks. The docks were mottled with shadows and torch light. The thought of running away brought tears to her eyes. She crouched down by the wall avoiding the watchful eye of the century. She was suddenly was overwhelmed with the sense of forlorn and loneliness. There were tears in her eyes. No,she mustn't turn back now. She sneaked along the docks and hopped aboard the nearest boat. It looked to be a skandian wolfship. But it was different. There was a heron carved at the front of the boat. She hid under a tarp and lay in a cramped position and tried not to be noticed.


	3. Chapter 3

Gillian

Gillian got back to the heron late that night. He was on guard and waiting for stigg and Hal. When Lydia came and took over for him, he walked down to his cabin. Ulf and Wolf were already in bed. They snored so loud he thought he would never be able to fall asleep.

"Gillian wake up"Called Hal down the stairs.

Gillian threw on his cloak and grabbed his bow and quiver. They shoved off and we're starting to head back to Araluen to report to the king.

Gillian sensed something wasn't right,he heard something that should not be there. He walked towards the tarp that covered the food and supplies. He thrust it up and uncovered a girl no older than sixteen with long semi curly orange hair in a tight messy bun. She screamed and tried to stand up. Gillian thrust out his hand and pinned her to the deck.

"Stig,come hold her here!"

Stig ran over and held her as she struggled and Gillian tied her to the mast.

"Please! Don't send me back to gallica. I just want to go to Araluen and find The ranger leader Gillian,"she said frantically.

"I'm Gillian. Why do you need me,"

"I keep having a dream and in it my dad tells me to avenge him,he says I have to kill you,but I can't! I can't kill someone!"there were tears in her eyes.

"Did the man say who he was,"Gillian had a hunch,the girl looked familiar,just like one he carried off many years ago.

"Lord of the rain and night sir,"she said nervously.


	4. Chapter 4

Ember had pleaded with the ranger not to take her back to Gallica. He had said he would take her to Areluen,but he would take her to the king first. There were many others on the ship,there was a kind girl named Lydia,to ridiculous twins named Ulf and Wulf,she didn't mind their company,she felt weird around the tall bulky scandian Stigg,Hal was okay. He was smart and kind to her besides the fact that she had stowed away on his boat. But thorn was the best he was always kind to her,joking around and teasing her every chance he got. Kind hearted Ingvar took pity on her. Edvin knit her a cap. Stefan never wasted a moment telling her his jokes. Jesper tried to steal her bracelet she had got many years ago from her mother and she kinda sorta accidentally pushed him of the deck.

Stigg hauled him aboard. Jesper lay there sputtering and coughing. He looked up and asked "what was that for!?"

"No one steals my bracelet,"she shot back.

Stigg glanced at him accusingly.

"I thought you stopped?!"he said with a raised eyebrow.

Jesper just sat there and pouted.


End file.
